THURSDAY 8.12
Caffeine-infused Screening Ever wonder where local filmmakers go to exhibit their latest projects? Surprised that we actually have filmmakers around here? Don't be — they're all over the place but unfortunately, because the general public hasn't expressed more than a mild curiosity in seeing independent films, there are few regular outlets at which these artists can showcase their works. To fill this so-called void, TOO Productions offers the Coffeehouse Film Review every second Thursday of the month, presenting independent films created and produced by local filmmakers. This evening's featured selection is Life Is a Circus, an 18-minute film highlighting the sometimes unfortunate experiences of clowns and mimes (TOO Productions). Other films highlighted this evening include Heroes (Chris McDaniel, 9 min.), Saving Shelly (Diane Berryman, 3 min.) and Time & Again (Todd Thompson, 17 min.). The venue, Studio 1515, is owned and operated by Walter and Sarah Romeo, who opened the coffeehouse in order to provide local artists with a place to gather and share their art. For more information on the event or how to submit a film, please e-mail tooprod@hotmail.com or paulguzzo@hotmail.com. 8-10 p.m. Studio 1515, 1515 Seventh Ave., Ybor City.
Reeling in the Fans Nashville's Emery Reel headlines at the Orpheum tonight and if you're a fan of post-rock or just want to hear something different and original, this is a show you don't want to miss. Unfamiliar with post-rock? Basically, it's a type of music recognized by its use of rock instrumentation for "non-rock" purposes. In short, instruments aren't always played in the standard sense but rather, used as tools for texturing and creating a mood. The four-member strong Emery Reel has been compared to any number of post-rock outfits — including Mogwai, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor — and are part of the latest generation of this genre, creating spacey, swirling soundscapes that are devoid of vocals and spellbindingly beautiful. Their debut album, …For and Acted Upon Through Diversions, was released in 2003, presenting songs that transition from quietly pensive, melancholy moments to violent crashes and crescendoes of sound, almost in the blink of an eye. It's safe to assume that folks with strict guidelines about musical preferences or folks who only enjoy the uniformity of corporately sponsored rock (i.e., that which is vomited into the mainstream by the local rock stations) will be unsatisfied with Emery's wall of sound. All others — I suggest you take your chances. Additional bands on the bill are Hydra the Sea Serpent, The Lake Audition, Plusses & Ups and Harbinger. 9 p.m. Tickets: $8. Orpheum, 1902 Republica de Cuba, Ybor City. 813-248-9500. Interested in a preview? Emery Reel plays a free in-store at Vinyl Fever at 6 p.m. (4110 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. 813-289-8399).
FRIDAY 8.13
Anarchist Revival The Alley Cat Players open Emma Goldman: Love, Anarchy, & Other Affairs this evening in downtown Tampa. Written by Jessica Litwak and starring Teresa Elena Gallar, this one-woman show is about — you guessed it — Emma Goldman, ardent advocate of birth control and free speech, lecturer and writer. Basically, she was a feminist when the idea was new and unsavory to the general public. At the height of the Red Scare, J. Edgar Hoover decided he needed to make examples of select leftists, and as an outspoken subversive Goldman was an easy target. In 1919, Hoover deported Goldman ("the most dangerous woman in America") to her homeland of Russia. This is only a small, interesting part of Goldman's life and you can learn more by checking out the performance. The opening night Producers' Party begins at 6 p.m. and the $50 ticket price includes dinner by the Asian Chef, a sound sculpture created by Fred Johnson, the opening performance of the play and a reception. Proceeds go to the operating costs of Alley Cat Players. Performance only: $10 general admission/$7 students and seniors. 8 p.m. on Fri. and Sat. and 5 p.m. on Sun., through Aug. 29. NT Village Music Garden, 911 N. Franklin St., Tampa (813-231-8478).
SATURDAY 8.14
An Evening of Populist Opinion He's been called the modern-day Johnny Appleseed, spreading the message of progressive populism all across America. He offers daily radio commentaries broadcast by over 100 commercial and public stations, and each month he publishes a populist political newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown, which has received both the Alternative Press Award and the Independent Press Association Award for best national newsletter (Utne Magazine). He is Jim Hightower, and he's coming to town this weekend to spread the word and promote his new book, Let's Stop Beating Around the Bush. Hightower's experience with politics began in Washington, where he worked as legislative aide to Sen. Ralph Yarborough of Texas. He then co-founded the Agribusiness Accountability Project, a public interest project that focused on corporate power in the food economy; and he was national coordinator of the 1976 "Fred Harris for President" campaign. He also served as director of the Texas Consumer Association before running for statewide office and being elected to two terms as Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Today, Hightower is one of the leading voices for the disillusioned public, and if you consider yourself part of this steadily increasing number, then you should come hear what he has to say. Sarasota News and Books hosts a talk and book-signing event that begins at 3 p.m. (1341 Main St., Sarasota, 941-365-6332). Later, Hightower speaks at the Octagon Arts Center in Clearwater (2470 Nursery Road). Tickets are $10 and the "show" starts at 8 p.m. For more information, please contact WMNF-88.5 FM at 813-238-8001 or visit www.wmnf.org.
TUESDAY 8.17
Revolutionary Images Paul Strand is possibly one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, a revolutionary force and master of modernism in photography. He embraced a broad range of subject matter in his work — landscapes, portraits, still-lifes, architecture, abstraction — and between 1932 and 1934, he took a series of striking photographs in Mexico following the Mexican Revolution. The Museum of Fine Arts exhibits these works in a show titled Mexican Portfolio, a collection of 20 photogravures reflecting Strand's powerful style of merging art with reality. (Photogravures are photographic images produced from an engraving plate, which makes prints that are as nuanced as a photograph and have the art quality of a lithograph.) These images are unquestionably worthy of notice, especially since this is the first time the museum has exhibited the entire portfolio since purchasing it in 1969. Visit the museum before the show ends and I promise you'll have an all-together satisfying experience. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and college students, and $4 for ages 7-18. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. and 1-5 p.m. on Sun. This exhibit continues through Aug. 29. Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive N.E., St. Petersburg. 727-896-2667.
This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2004.